Ultra wide-band (UWB) communication systems have received substantial attention in recent years due to their anti-multipath capabilities, simplicity in transceiver design and low cost. UWB transmission uses very short impulses of radio energy whose characteristic spectrum covers a wide range of radio frequencies. Consequently, the resultant UWB signals have high bandwidth and frequency diversity. Such characteristics make them very well suited for various applications such as wireless high-speed data communications and low cost wireless home networks.
In co-owned and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/847,777 a method and apparatus for detecting signals in a UWB communication system is disclosed. Signal detection, according to that application, performs well for unipolar transmitted signals. However, if the desired transmitted signal is bipolar or if there are multiple UWB transmitters operating simultaneously, for example as in the case of multiple user access applications, interference may be experienced among users.
Generally, embodiments of the present invention are directed at methods and apparatuses for transmitting and/or detecting ultra wide-band (UWB) signals.
According to an illustrative aspect of the invention, a UWB communication system comprises one or more transmitters operable to transmit one or more UWB signals and a receiver operable to receive the UWB signals. According to this aspect of the invention the receiver portion of the system comprises a first circuit having a first pulse generator operable to produce a first pulse sequence in response to the UWB signals; a second circuit coupled in parallel with the first circuit, said second circuit having a second pulse generator operable to produce a second pulse sequence in response to the UWB signals; and a pulse processing circuit operable to decode the first and second code sequences and determine information carried in the UWB signals.
According to another illustrative aspect of the invention, a receiver circuit for receiving a UWB signal comprises an antenna operable to receive the UWB signal, a first circuit having a first pulse generator operable to produce a first pulse sequence in response to the UWB signal, a second circuit coupled in parallel with the first circuit, said second circuit having a second pulse generator operable to produce a second pulse sequence in response to the UWB signal; and a pulse processing circuit operable to decode the first and second code sequences and determine information carried in the UWB signal.
According to another illustrative aspect of the invention, a UWB communication system comprises a plurality of transmitters operable to transmit a corresponding plurality of UWB signals, a plurality of detectors, each detector having a pulse generating circuit for generating a unique pulse sequence in response to the UWB signals, and a pulse processing circuit operable to decode the pulse sequences and determine information carried in the UWB signals.
According to yet another illustrative aspect of the invention, a method of producing information contained in a UWB signal comprises receiving the UWB signal, producing a first pulse sequence from the UWB signal, producing a second pulse sequence from the UWB signal, and producing information based on the first and second pulse sequences.
A further understanding of the nature and the advantages of the inventions disclosed herein is described now in reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings.